Case Studies

We know that having the right people at the core of our business is what makes us unique to our competitors and enables us to offer our diversified range of services.

Small Beginnings – Robert Eglington

Working out of a 10ft by 10ft room wasn’t exactly what Robert Eglington, Director of MLM Building Control, had in mind when he suggested a new regional office to MLM in 2001.

Robert recalled: “I asked the managing director at the time if he wanted a Norwich office and if so, could I run it. He said yes and so life at MLM began. I was given a room, a desk and a telephone directory and told to get on with it. It was stressful, but also empowering and I felt privileged that MLM had that much faith in me.”

With Robert’s hard work and contacts in the industry, he was quick to build up a client base in the area and was able to hit the company’s target in the first year.

Now, MLM has a well established office in Cringleford.

Making An Impression – Adam Norfolk

Adam Norfolk joined the company in 2014 as a civil engineer, and although he was keen to make a good impression, things didn’t quite go to plan.

Adam recalled: “Right from the start of joining MLM things just kept going wrong. I’d only been in the job a few weeks when we had our Christmas party. I managed to spill a glass of red wine down my front and then my boss’s wife tipped a glass of white wine down me in an attempt to get rid of the red stain. Then I missed the last train home and had to sleep in the office!”

And things didn’t go any smoother on his first business trip with boss, Ben Freedman.

He said: “I was sitting in the airport’s business lounge, thinking how great it was to be there, when I went to pick up my suitcase and all my pants and socks fell out, all across the floor with loads of business people watching. It was so embarrassing and I had to clear it up whilst my boss was on the floor in stitches of laughter!”

But despite his early hitches, Adam quickly shone in the company, becoming a design manager for a project in the Netherlands.

He explained: “When I was first given the job, I thought, ‘argh, am I really going to be able to do this?’, but it was either sink or swim. I learnt more in 18 months than I did in any of my previous jobs. It can be stressful at times but everyone is so helpful; my colleagues are more like friends and that keeps me going.”

Getting Technical – Catherine Ho

Within a year of joining MLM as a secretary, Catherine Ho decided she wanted a change of career – even if it meant retraining.

She explained: “I came to MLM with a HND in Business Administration. I helped put all the safety documents together and set up the systems needed for the Health and Safety team.”

But once Catherine had got to grips with the procedural side of the work, she started to want more.

She said: “I got to know all the health and safety regulations so well that I began to think maybe I could learn the technical side of the job. I really wanted an opportunity to do something different in my career and I thought, ‘why not give this a go?’”

Catherine went on to train as a Construction, Design and Management (CDM) co-ordinator and has continued to gain further qualifications, rising through the management levels.

Today, eleven years on, she is Technical Director of Health and Safety, and is working towards becoming chartered.

She added: “Since I started at MLM there have been huge changes. But although MLM has grown, it hasn’t lost the feel of a smaller company – we still have a really great, friendly team and that’s a great feeling.”

Aiming High – Elliot Wells

Elliot Wells was driven to succeed at MLM right from his first interview, and he hasn’t looked back since.

He said: “I started as an accounts assistant in 2001. Sue Goddard, who headed up the Accounts team back then, told me that I could have her job in a few years if I worked hard. I was really surprised at how forward thinking this was, but that comment was enough to keep me focused on my career path.”

Although Elliot admits he wasn’t entirely sure what MLM did at the time, he was certain he wanted to work in private industry accounting, and after just two years he became a certified chartered accountant.

He explained: “It was really hard work but MLM supported me, not only financing my study costs but allowing me time off to study and take exams.”

Today, Elliot is MLM’s Financial Director and a Junior Equity Partner and he believes MLM’s desire to continuously improve is what makes it so successful.

He added: “You spend more time at work than anywhere else, so it’s important to enjoy what you do. To me the people I work with are like a second family and that’s what gets me into work each day.”

Taking The Plunge – Simon O’Toole

With just a year’s experience behind him, civil engineer, Simon O’Toole, quit his job in Ireland to be thrown in at the deep end at MLM Finland.

Simon recalled: “I wanted to get into design and even though I had a lot to learn I thought I would just go for it. Previous interviews had been really nerve-racking but my interview at MLM was so relaxed and open. They didn’t make me feel like a number in a huge corporate business.”

Simon spent three months working in MLM’s central London office, so he could get to grips with the processes of design, before being thrown into his new role – working on one of the largest technology campuses in Europe.

His job involves liaising with the Dutch teams for all the civil engineering design and infrastructure of the project.

He explained: “I am the only MLM site engineer out here and it can be quite challenging at times. But the support and understanding I receive really spurs me on and also inspires me to fulfil my goal to become a chartered engineer.”

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.